Attdio-freqxjency-controlled torpedo



E. c; HANSON.

AUDIO FREQUENCY CONTROLLED TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, H8.

1,320,142. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

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AUDIO FREQUENCY CONTROLLED TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 4.1918.

Patented Oct. 28,1919.

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[ 2Z w I l I UNITED stra ns EARL C. HANSON,

l?ATENT OFFICE.

or LOS menus, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR To TITLE msunnncr. AND 'musr COMPANY, A conroan'rro v on CALIFORNIA. h

AUDIO-FREQUENCY CONTROLLED TORPEDQ.

Specification of Letters Intent.

Patented Oct. 28,1919.

Application filed June 4,1915. Scria1 1 o.288,110.

State of California, have invented a new.

and useful Audio-Frequency-Controlled Torpedo, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of naval warfare, and the principal object-of the in-v vention is to provide means by which a torpedo or submarine or other self-propelled vessel can be controlled and-directed from a distance and more particularly from an aeroplane.

A further object of the invention is to provide means by which a dirigible vessel may be controlled by an aeroplane without the necessity of any physical connection be tween the aeroplane and the vessel.

Further objects of the invention will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, which are ontirely diagrammatic,

Figure 1 shows an aeroplane and torpedo embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 1s a diagram of the electrical apparatus on the aeroplane.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical. ap-

paratus on the torpedo.

The aeroplane 11 may be of any type, or a dirigible balloon, kite or ship may in some cases be substituted therefor. This aeroplane 13 provided with a pair of audio frequency generators, the-generator 12 generatmg a frequencyv approproximately twice that of the generator 13. One of the brushes 14 of each of the generators is connected to a common w1re 15, which in turn is conneeted to the primary 16 of a trans-. 'former 17 this transformer having an iron.

core 18 and a secondary 19, one terminal of the secondary 19 being grounded at 20 on the aeroplane frame, and the other terminal 21 being connected to a hanging wire 22, which may be of considerable length. The other brushes 23 and 24 of the generators 12 and 13 are connected to a switch 25 by means of which either of the brushes 23 or 24 can be connected to the other terminal of the primary 16.

The apparatus installed on the torpedo consists of an antenna 30 which ispreferably secured to a glider, but for exampleis shown secured to a balloon 31, or which may and passes into theinterior ofthe torpedo.

$3, being connected therein to theprimary 34 of a transformer 35 having an iron core 36, the other terminal of the primary 34 be- I ing connected to ground 37, which is, in this case, the hull of the torpedo. -The sec- ,ondary 38 of thetransformer 35 is connected at one terminal to the grid 39 of a vacuum bulb repeater 40. This vacumn bulb repeater has a filament 41 energized .by abattery 42, the other terminal of the secondary 38 being connected through a wire 43 with the filament 41.. The filament 41 is also connected through a wire 44 with a battery 45, the other terminal of this battery being connected through a pair of vi bratin re; lays 46 and 47 with the plate 48 o ,the vacuum bulb repeater 40. The vibrating relays 46 and 47 are provided with vibrating reeds 49 and 50 which are tuned for audio frequencies and which connect batteries 51 and 52 through operating magnets 53 and 54. The operating magnets act upon cores 55 and 56 connected to the rudder 57 of the torpedo. The torpedo 33 is provided with a search light 60 which is so set that it shines in a practically vertical direction so as to be visible to the aeroplane 11 which moves approxin'lately above it, be ing more or less mvisible to objects on the surface (51 of the ocean in which the torpedo moves.

The method of the operation of the invention above described is as follows:

The torpedo'33 being started by any convenient means pulls the balloon 31 along and maintaining the antenna 30 at aconsiderable distance in the air, this antenna being insulated at 3.2 so that it makes no contact with the water. The aeroplane 11 flies over the torpedo 33, the pilot making observations from time to time of the torpedos progress by watching the search light (30 at night, or by watching the balloon 31 in the daytime.

Whenever the pilot of the pedos' progress he flies the aeroplane 'into the neighborhood of the torpedo so that the trailing wire 22 is somewher in the neighborhood of the antenna 30. If the wire 22 and the antenna 30 are each several hundredfeet long, it is not necessary that the uency potential on the trailing wire 22.

' The electro-static charges caused by this potential set up an 'electro-static field which includes the antenna 30 causing faint currents to flow through the antenna and the primary '34 to the ground 37; This in turn generates currents on the secondary 38, which are amplified by the vacuum bulb repeater 40, so that relatively heavier currents flow through the vibrating relays 46 and 47. The reeds 49 and 50 are so tuned that they each respond to a articular frequency, this frequency 'being t at of the generators 12 and 13 respectively. If, for example, the generator 12 is connected to the transformer 17, the reed 49 will start to vibrate closing the circuit through the operating coil 53 and moving the rudder inone direction. If, on the other hand, the low frequency generator 13 is connected to the transformer 17, the reed 50 will vibrate and th rudder will be turned in the opposite direction. It is thus possible for the pilot on the aeroplane by approaching the neighborhood of the antenna 30 to turn the torpedo at will so that he can guide it through a tortuous channel to any desired objective. Obviously captive or dirigi-ble 'balloons might be used in the place of aero lane 11, although with some sacrifice of e ciency.

While I have spoken of the torpedo 33 it is to be understood that any sort of self-propelled vessel may be substituted therefor, and this vessel may run either submerged of on thesurface. i

In the operation of my invention I use audio frequencies exclusively, that is to say,

frequencies below 10,000 cycles per second. By so doing I am able to use iron core transformers at both the sending and receiving ends, and I am abl by the use of these iron core transformers tm entirely eliminate any radio frequency waves which may be present in the neighborhood, as the radio fre quency waves are. entirely eliminated by the iron core transformers. Transmission of audio frequency Waves over long distances is diflicult. I have,'however, demonstrated that it is entirely practical to operate over short distances, using the apparatus above described, and I have found that such apparatus is not only low in first cost and easy to maintain but that it is also very reliable and quite eflicient for the purpose set forth in this specification.

WVhat I claim is An apparatus for directing and controlling the movement of a self-propelled torpedo or the like, comprising an antenna secured to the torpedo and insulated from the water surrounding said torpedo; means for supportin said antenna so that it projects a sultable distance out of the water in which the torpedo moves; audio frequency responsive means located inside the torpedo and 'electrically connected to said antenna, an iron cor transformer so connected in the circuit of said audio frequenc responsive means as to eliminate all radio requency Waves; control means actuated by said audio frequency responsive means and arranged to control the movement of the torpedo; and manually controlled radiating means mechanically independent of said torpedo for impressing audio frequency waves 'on the space surrounding said antenna.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at ashington, District of Colum- 'bia, this lth day of June, 1918.

EARL 0. Hanson. 

